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January 5, 2011

On The Mat 420 RSC Gi Review

This is an A 4 sized gi. I am 6'4" 212#'s here.

After rolling in the new On The Mat (OTM) Rip Stop Competition Gi (RSCG) I am very pleased with OTM's latest creation. The more OTM products I check out, the more I lam impressed with this Southern Cali based company. And now with a premiere competition weighted gi OTM has to be taken as a serious contender when it comes to kimono manufacturing and design!

The pants are made of 8oz ripstop fabric, the RSC jacket weighs in at a cool 420 grams (not the 420 most of you were probably thinking;) that's right, under a single pound! Immediately your first question should be "But Jake, how durable can this gi be?" Excellent question, and as with my past reviews of gi's, durability is a long term quality that I cannot fairly measure in time for a serious review. I have rolled in the RSC gi at least a dozen times since receiving it, as well as putting it through some rigorous push and pull training. So far not even a blemish on the kimono. Even the pants which seem uber light and easily ripped have held up to some serious grip fights in open guard as well as closed guard.

Again, sorry for the cluttered dojo.

The gi is clean meaning very few company patches. This is a pet peeve of mine when the manufacturing gets over zealous with marketing its brand. I understand why they do it, but by taking the minimalist approach OTM has some class when it comes to patches and what not. Plus they never put on drooling pit bull's nor skulls getting ear raped with daggers! This leaves plenty of room for you to adorn your gi with your schools shwag and to give the props you wish to give. I am only a blue belt so I have had zero success with getting the attention of sponsors, but this becomes a factor with black belts who travel a lot to compete. They need sponsorship and they need room to advertise for said sponsors.

Hands down I must say the RSC pants are THE most comfortable gi bottoms I have ever worn! A great thick drawstring cord wraps the waist, and the material does not cling and grab ahold of you when you sweat. The pants are super thin so they breathe without a problem. A double layer of ripstop at the knees similar to the Lucky Gi, although the seems are very cleanly stitched triple time. I do believe this is the first triple stitched gi I have seen on the market (I stand corrected... just got back from AM Jits, and noticed my Lucky Gi also made by OTM, is triple stitched).

My only criticism of the pants is the waist cord has started to fray and come apart. I hesitate to even mention this because I believe it may be caused by my washing machine. I am not sure it is a design flaw, but I wanted to bring it up for Scotty to be aware of in the future. PLEASE do not get rid of the draw cord as it is awesome! I think it may be snagging on something in my washer.

The jacket takes two pulls to free the skirt for chokes, and chokes are the one aspect to be addressed here. Made with UVA foam the collar is heat resistant, and with the RSC gi being so light the collar naturally cannot be as thick as say Luck Gi's. As with anything on the mat this can be a positive or a negative when it comes to giving or receiving gi chokes. A bit easier to sneak that lapel into creases on the neck or arm to attack them, but vice versa defending gi chokes with your own lapel becomes a very tricky matter! I also suggest tapping early from the gi chokes as the lapel tends to cut a bit when put on tight.

Again the jacket is great! Light, triple stitched and clean. These are all factors that OTM took into account for their sponsored fighters competing in events such as the IBJJF tournaments where their are strict regulations on kimono size, design, color, and do not forget you are weighed in your full gi just prior to stepping on the mat to compete! So it has become imperative to have the lightest gi available at these events so you can shed every pound needed. This is exactly what the OTM RSC gi was made for and Scotty and the crew hit a home run!

Solid stitching is holding up great so far!

Clocking in an just under $135 one can order a white, blue, or black ($5 extra) kimono from OTM directly, or at any of their stores throughout Cali, New Mexico, Hawaii, Arizona etc.

I highly suggest checking this gi out for both competition and daily training. I look forward to testing it out at the Pan Am's if my pant cords hold up! Hopefully I can add a little gold trim to the uniform while competing!